Expert Opinion

Many might not like him as a person or his playing style, but I truly believe that Diego Costa has arguably been one of the best strikers in the world for the past four years.

By winning the Premier League and being FA Cup runner-up in 2017, Antonio Conte has silenced critics who doubted his capabilities on arrival at Chelsea and confirmed his status as a top coach.

Diego Costa has been deemed surplus to requirements by Conte, seting tongues wagging and as we share thoughts, Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid on a record deal to replace Costa

If reports reaching us is true, Conte has just signed a refreshed two-year contract with Chelsea. This, in so many ways, kind of suggests that his club owners are fully backing him up with his management of Chelsea.

Very few saw this coming for Diego Costa, most especially when Chelsea equivocally denied him the opportunity to move mid-season to China for a mouth-watering transfer sum and wages.

From a tactical point of view, Morata brings to Chelsea a much more versatile attacking style.

Based on what he successfully showed while at Juventus, Morata can play alone as a point striker, can also partner a second striker should the team need to play twin strikers and he has the faculty also to participate in a disciplined team defensive network as a striker.

He is not just a striker that strikes, but can defend and offer a coach several playing options. This could be a tactical choice why his services were employed by Chelsea.

I believe that from a coach’s point of view, especially with regards to player management, when a coach has no immediate, alternative replacement for an unwanted star player, patience when acting is required, but otherwise, the coach needs to act immediately.

By reportedly sending Costa an SMS to inform him of his imminent change in status from first choice to probable bench or crowd-seat warmer, Conte may have decided to firmly state to Costa that the decision was beyond negotiation or a U-turn. Or maybe he was not interested in hearing whatever comments Costa had about the new development.

If anyone doubted Chelsea’s Roman Abrahamovic's support for Conte, I believe this puts that to rest.

This latest development is a warning sign to all other star players at Chelsea that they are no longer indispensable. First it was John Terry, who just moved on to Aston Villa, that was deemed surplus to requirements and now Diego Costa.

This fallout and the quality of the replacement further tells us that the Blues are going to be extremely ambitious this coming 2017/2018 football season.

Conte is a type of coach that likes to influence the play of his team in a holistic fashion. So much so, that he needs to have total attention, discipline and attention from the whole team with no exception.

Though Costa is an exceptional player, we all know he can be difficult to manage at times and his constant on-and-off-the-ball scuffles with the opposition unsettled his teammates and manager at times.

One thing is for sure, Diego Costa needs to find a new club as I really do believe that Conte will not give him playing time anymore.

Personally, I do find Costa an exceptional player but if the positive results don’t follow, the coach goes, not the player in most cases, hence Conte’s wishes matter most

Let’s wish them both well, but I am totally convinced though we have not heard the last of Diego Costa.